bee creative

the daily science

I’m guessing I was nine when I decided to invent a lock for my bedroom door. It involved a coat hanger and some strings. I really don’t remember what else. What I do remember was getting my brother to “test” the lock and him breaking the door. And getting in trouble.

And then there was the time (age 8 or 9?) that I had the scheme to make salt water drinkable. Baking soda was my go-to for some reason.  We got in trouble of course.  What I really don’t remember is who gave me the baking soda and what exactly did they think I was going to do with it given that we were at the boat harbor? I suspect that I might have said I was experimenting with it but not that we were drinking it....

Children are natural born scientists. I see it every day at work. It’s as simple as the infant or toddler that keeps dropping or dumping something so that they can see what happens. Cause and effect.

Curiosity and creativity go hand in hand for me. We need more of this in our world, not less. It’s something that needs to be supported in our schools as part of the curriculum and it needs to be supported by our society.

Science in action:

I wanted to test some fabric in a walnut dye bath and was hoping there was something salvageable from last fall.  I'd left it outside with a piece of glass over the top (squirrels!).  I shouldn't have been surprised that the water had evaporated out, leaving sludge behind.

I knew I would need to try painting it on fabric.  Also tried stamping with a cork. 

...

There was milk to use up this morning so I decided to make cheese.  It's always amazing when that bit of vinegar in warm milk makes curds and whey.

And curds make cheese.

And if soy milk works as a mordant for dyeing fabric, what will whey do?

10 dandelions per container.  Whey in one for the liquid, water in the other.  I added cotton fabric. 

And...

While I was harvesting the dandelions I was thinking about how they close at night and then open again in the morning.  There are an assortment of flowers that do this. 

It's called nyctinasty and it still isn't known why plants do this.

All this science has me thinking about Thomas Dolby's song, "She blinded me with Science."

 

Happy Earth Day!

 

 

prompt

Prompt...to be on time or to encourage, to suggest. 

Most of the watches I've owned in my life time, just missing one I think. I'm a bit bemused about there being two watches with cartoon characters on them.  Classic Cinderella was a gift from my grandparents. I believe I picked it out at a gift store in San Francisco when I was nine. 

The Tweety Bird watch plays "I'm in the mood for love."  I used to wear it to work as a necklace but the kids would want the button pushed over and over and it drove me a bit crazy.... 

The only time that I regularly wore a watch was in college, so that I could be on time for classes. 

 

"If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them." Thoreau

A response for April Love 2017.  The prompt was "favorite quote."  I don't really have one but this one is a long time favorite.  It was included on my college applications and essays that I wrote for scholarships.  I've always thought of education as a foundation. 

Responses to 365 days prompts:

 

 

There is something about prompts and dead lines and due dates and challenges that works for me.  I think it's because daydreaming, playing and generating ideas is easier for me than finishing something. 

Following my own impulses...

creative mess:

laundry (first batch taken outside to dry in the sunshine, and isn't that piece of fabric a prompt in itself?):

tea

I'm going to fill a jar or bowl or something with words and draw a word each day and then post an image on Instagram each day, maybe weekly here. If anyone wants to suggest a word or two or more I'll add them to the mix. 

Since I'll finish the prompts for April Love, I'll start officially drawing words on May 1st. 

 

stories

At the moment, I don't have any pictures of the boat that seems such an integral part of my childhood, so I sketched a bit.

Well, it is definitely a boat. 

I spent a good part of my childhood and early teen years curled in the bow reading.  And napping.  That too.  I still like a good nap and can sleep in the sunshine as easily as anywhere else. 

I have memories of singing with my mother, mostly when we were running from harbor to harbor. Especially while crossing Chatham Strait.  "You are my Sunshine," "Bicycle built for Two," "Red River Valley,"  "What Shall we do with a Drunken Sailor..."

There was a cassette player at some point, during the late 70's.  I still have John Denver's Greatest Hits around here somewhere.  I'm not sure what else.  By the time we move to Washington and fished around the San Juan Islands I had a radio and could listen to that too. 

But there were always books. I read a lot.    

....

Books I am currently reading or will read sooner rather than later (I always read more than one book at a time.).

Books and authors I have loved starting from about age nine...

Not pictured:

• Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson.  I discovered this children's book as an adult and fell instantly in love.

We can create our own world.... 

One of the prompts for Carla Sonheim's class, 365; is to make a list.  This is the one I wanted to make.

What books do you love? What are you reading? 

...

Field notes:  lots of April Showers this week and today high winds, gusts up to 54 miles an hour.  The house has been shaking.

 The Camellia is covered with blossoms for the first time this year.  So beautiful...

 

 

 

 

first market day

Would you like to go to the market (click here for video, it's a bit goofy)?

Because it is enchanted April...

nothing foolish about it.

From the market: radishes, bread, onions and the plate.  Added to blue cheese and a bit of apple and then toasted.